Not a day good for boating... especially with a hangover!
We stayed over on Rotto for a mates 40th on Saturday evening. We had a rough ride out from Woodies early on Saturday, bagged out on crays, awesome fishing off the west end (mate got his first sized Dhu) between 8am and 1pm, followed by far too much to drink on Saturday arvo/evening in Thompsons bay. (mistake no. 1)
I've got a 6m Stessl/130 Honda with full clears so was expecting/planning an uncomfortable ride home on Sunday but a lads weekend pass is well worth it. (mistake no. 2)
Forecast when we planned the trip (Thursday) was 18knots SW on Sunday all day, By Saturday mid morning they were forecasting 22knots but it turned out actuals on Sunday morning of 27 gusting to 31 knots!
I have a newfound respect for my boat, but also the ocean! My aerial snapped on Saturday when my mate in another boat pulled along side to grab some bait and cleaned it up so I was down a 27mhz and had flat battery on the handheld VHF after the days fishing chatter. (mistake no. 3). That alone feeling will never leave me.
I spent the first 45mins wondering how the hell we were going to get through this and opened my eyes to just how easily and quickly things can go wrong in bad weather. I am far from cautious in life but was genuinely petrified.
I'm so grateful that I have a solid boat but more importantly a reliable motor! I had power when I needed it and reliably chugged through the mine field that was the ocean. After nearly an hour of zig zaging and surfing, I've never been so happy to make it into the shipping channel as I was yesterday morning! If we went down there at least someone could have raised the alarm. Around Rotto, waves the size of houses came from 2 directions and only 2 boat lengths apart. The swells were so close together it felt like we weren't getting anywhere!
Once sheltered behind straddlers and the FFB things seem to ease up slightly but a 50min trip still took 2hrs 35mins to get back to Woodies!
I will never go out in anything forecast close to 20knots again! Things can change so quickly and as the title says, it's only a "forecast". All of this was wind driven with relevantly low ocean swells according to the graphs!
We had lifejackets & kill switch on, EPIRB and flares out in a bag but it gave me little confidence when the ocean is so rough! I will be buying and installing a VHF in the boat as a second option, giving the old girl good bath and polish, and never be putting either of us in that position again. My boat has far bigger balls than I do!
Still, my mate wanted a 40th to remember, he got one of those...
clayd
Posts: 128
Date Joined: 07/12/15
Know your limits
Good to see you know your limits. I found mine 2 years ago.
I've never been afraid of the ocean, but I respect her power. My only time thinking I'd bitten off more than I can chew was coming back from Rotto to Hillary's when it was blowing 30 kts in my 5.8m Coraline. Similar to last weekend, it hadn't let up from the day before. Broached down one wave, the only time the boat has ever broached. Kids slept though it all, but I was right on the throttle and trim for the rest of the trip back. Took 1hr 20mins when it normally takes about 45-50mins.
Wasn't afraid for myself, but realised i put my family at risk. Not going to do that again.
I'd like to think i'm pretty experienced and make good calls about safe boating having spent years working on deck and skippering. Had one other experience that I luckily came out of, but coming back from Rotto in those conditions rates as my most stupid moment because it involved my family and I had a choice to stay at Rotto another night.
timmy k (not verified)
Posts: 16
Date Joined: 01/01/70
All i can say is
FUCK THAT! And glad to hear you made it home safely and that we didn't hear about a search mission on the news
Swompa
Posts: 3907
Date Joined: 14/10/12
One of my first runs back
One of my first runs back from Rotto was the worst. Into the teeth of 25-30 in a 6m centre console...took 1:20 to get to Carnac then into woodies from then. Was a learning experience.
Now if I go to rotto, I go from Leeuwin. Yeah you pay a bit but the angle is far more favourable.
Kakkerlak
Posts: 113
Date Joined: 26/03/15
Thanks fir sharing your
Thanks fir sharing your storry. I recently upgraded my tinnie to a 5.4m key west and already had a few runs to rotto and the fads. Eventhough I am very cautious I have never had a bad experience at sea and realise it is easy to become complacent and stay out longer than should. This story is a reality check. I normally run from hillarys south to comeback with the seabreeze and never thought it could be a major issue when the wind picks up strong with following seas untill reading this. Lesson learned l.
Josh
Posts: 283
Date Joined: 14/09/10
Saturday arvo was my reality
Saturday arvo was my reality check. Overstayed our welcome at rotto left about 3, took an hour and a half to get back to hillarys. We tried to sit behind a charter boat on the way home, but the Swell was pushing him all over the place and he couldn't maintain a straight course. Constantly big Swell, with waves crumbling from the top, the friends from Switzerland certainly got a memorable trip! The 5.5m custom stabi behaved so well, and soo predictably moving across the faces of those waves. I sure was sore on the way home, and to top it off, about 100m from the Hillarys rock wall the main tank ran out juice, and we had to switch it to the auxiliary tank, luckily we were prepared!
tailormade
Posts: 30
Date Joined: 14/01/14
Its almost worth it for that
Its almost worth it for that feeling when you pull up and get off the boat knowing you've made it! But a pretty shit feeling when your in the thick of it!